[Closed] Chrome - Stupid Idea?

Not sure- CCM used to chrome their MX frames in the early 70's and that was considered a bad idea at the time- but it's so long ago that I can't remember the reason why, though I'm fairly sure it was metallurgial rather than taste. Not much help I know...

I think from a racers perspective chrome is heavier than paint but that makes know difference to a non racer. likely to be pricey.

A few of us looked at this a while back - in the end we decided against. As I recall, it was because the cost was going to be really quite high if we wanted to get a good finish. I do like the idea of it though still 🙂

Could be done, can't see it being cheap though.

I used to know a guy who was a metal fabricator and he could polish metal until it looked like a mirror, now that'd be a finish to go for

Chrome is awful to keep clean & bright & gets pitted easily

Nickel plating would be a better option IMO

Clubber - go on then, how much? £100+?

You may also eventually run into problems with the nickle no wanting to flex with the frame, so it will probably eventually crack and/or peel around the high stress areas.

Have certain manufacturers not nickel plated previously? Seems odd to me that the steel would "flex" enough to crack it.

Chrome plating is not thought of as too clever as the process uses acid or something which weakens the steel (all with an "IIRC" caveat). Check out the "456 rohloff" thread for an example of bad plating - looks dreadful.

Never looks "right" on an mtb IMO ,not that you should listen to my opinion.

chrome plating is heavy, expensive and crap. why not just get a cheap aluminium frame and polish it?

PP - something like £150 IIRC but no guarantee about how well it'd hold up - also IIRC there was a caveat from the chroming place that it works much better on unused steel - ie not a used frame - very easy for tiny marks/contamination/etc to lead to pitting.

Like I said, while I like the idea, it didn't really seem practical.

Will look pretty crap after a while unless you're fastidious about keeping it clean. I'd talk to a metal finishing shop, and see what they can do with polishing and lacquer.

Would look ace as a show bike though

Why not stick tiny pieces of mirror on the frame instead?, Bit like a Disco Ball in style

it works much better on unused steel - ie not a used frame - very easy for tiny marks/contamination/etc to lead to pitting.

I see..... 🙁 Makes sense though....

Will look pretty crap after a while unless you're fastidious about keeping it clean

Works very well on BMXs. Very tough. Which is partly why I was thinking of it in the first place.....
🙂

the problem with chrome is that it wont hide any marks you have on your frame like powder coating will so unless your frame is perfect it'll show this. any slight scratches or pitting and it WILL show this. also harder wearing chrome is slightly thicker and as such less mirror like.

really they should Nickel plate it first as Chrome sticks to Nickel and Nickel sticks to Steel much better than Chrome to Steel.

if its done correct and treated properly before chroming it'll be just fine. i have a set of pedals from '94 that still look like the day they were done.

give these guys a call

Parkside Metal Finishers
Parkside Mill
Parkside Road
Todmorden
OL14 8PF
01706 815778

my mate's dad owns the place, as a kid we'd just go up and chrome anything we could there, including my grill wire when i forgot to turn it off after a bout of cheese on toast.

So, the armchair mechanics, they say NO!
The bloke with the kit, who's done it before, he say YES!

I shall file that address and mull it over.
I do fancy chrome. I really do. With some simple black, or subtle grey, graphics.....
🙂

I always wanted a black chrome Super Goose.

Looked good on a BMX, but somehow I think it always looks a bit cheap on an MTB 🙁

Interested to see the pics when it's done though PP 🙂

So, the armchair mechanics, they say NO!

Well I'm just telling you what the chrome platers we spoke to told us...

maybe don't go the whole hog and just have drop outs / back end done. like they used to on cool old road bikes.

preparation is everything, unused steel would be the best as its going to be in the best condition but if its treated properly before being dipped then you'll be OK

The components we used to have chromed at my old work were copper dipped first, which is how I would have thought a frame would be done, which adds weight, time, and expense to the process. The frame would have to be meticulously prepped to get the finish you're after.
Maybe just get the fork done, if you're running the standard steel fork?

I think mamadirt had the dropouts chromed on one of the Inbreds that she tweaked and has resprayed.

Following the whole [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/spot-the-mod-pitch-content ]PHOX SHOX[/url] affair I fear getting a reputation for weird mods.. but here goes...

As you can see below I had my Clockwork Nickel plated by the people who we were using to chrome the bits on the Lorry we were re-building (which ended up looking awesome!). I think they had to do a small Nickel dunk on all the bits first, so they just sloshed the frame in too.

As you can see I had all the Deore DX bits that I could dunk in acid anodised purple too 🙂

The bike is still around and is still going strong BTW

DO IT PETER!

[img] [/img]

More positive vibes. I can see me looking into this in a few months....

The frame would have to be meticulously prepped to get the finish you're after.

doof is right there, it all in finding someone who will take the time to get it right, the chrome is only microns thick so all the polishing is done on the frame first before chroming, its finding someone that will take that time and effort to get the right result. I had some wheel rims (chopper) done once and though the chrome was lovely and shiny the guy didnt take the time on the parts to get the right finish, and the pitting and poor 2nd handness of the rims is still visible..

Used to get the forks chromed on my Cycle speedway bikes some 28 years ago. And they did take effort to stop rusting, but the shale track had lots of salt in it..

Incidentally, have you got tug nuts on your SS? you might find the wheel slips a lot more on the chrome dropouts.

I think you should as it will prove beyond doubt that you [b]can[/b] polish a turd. 😉

Gold plated. I'd love a gold plated frame.

My BMX has chromed Profile cranks and a chrome Araya rim. After a good few years' use, both look utterly shite and it leaves a sad trail of glittery flakes everywhere it goes.

Peter, you've not long had the bastard resprayed anyway, jolly well have not you?

After seeing the pics of that beautiful blue Rock lobster, I'm wondering which colour/finish to have mine done in, when (not if) the paint falls off...

Chrome, yeah, that would look the dog's bollocks. Or two-tone, like Kleins, or TVRs....

Incidentally, have you got tug nuts on your SS?

Yep, on both sides. It won't move!
🙂

The bike in question -
[img] [/img]

Imagine that chromed, with the black and silver bits, and (Suitably modified!) black graphics. I like it more and more the more I think about it.

I reckon I'd have to get the fork lowers done too. I'm thinking of something silly like flouro pink or lime green and then rebadging them as Shock Shox or something like that.

Flamejob, you have a lot to answer for, mate......
😉

I just got workshop envy... the bike alright, but my oh my I covet your workshop...

Is this a shiny bike photo opertunity? It would look like this but without the gears and pikey gold shiny bits..

[img] [/img]

I think you should as it will prove beyond doubt that you can polish a turd.

Peter, you've not long had the bastard resprayed anyway, jolly well have not you?

No that's the other one, (The geared 853 I snapped the chainsty on) in both cases!

£220 worth of paint, new tubing and decals -
[img] [/img]

Yeah, I know, and I don't care.....

rebadging them as Shock Shox or something like that.

Even better, why not turn them into a 'sleeper' and stick RST decals on them ...

... 😉

Tinsy, you should see the rest of the garage! I've wanted one all my life, and it's wonderful.

The more I think about this, the more I like the idea..... Your pic helps too.

Sod it. It's only money.

Do it.

Tinsy now gets back to designing the garden building of his dreams with inspiration from PP garage....

One thing you should take into acount is that no one will want to use their cutting tools on the bb shell if it's chromed as it could well blunted them.

Chrome plating anything isn't particularly clever unles it's been designed to accept the reduction in material properties associated with the process. Chrome plate actually intoduces surface 'micro-cracks' and high residual stresses in the surface of the material which can propagate and accelerate fatigue failure.

Some texts suggest that this can be as much as a 60% reduction in life (for high cycle fatigue) - and this includes the effect if the material is first nickel plated. Just to note that I am referencing 'Fundementals of Metal Fatigue' by Bannentine, Comer and Handrock, page 17 which I just happen to have in front of me. This is the same for pretty much any surface treatment where you will often get reduced fatigue properties (hard anodise for example can have around 30% reduction).

The only way I know of to re-gain some of this strength is to first have the item shot peened, but it will still be worst than if left painted. Chrome plate is only used in aerospace applications where wear is an important issue - using it for cosmetics isn't a good idea unless the item is non-structural.

Even better, why not turn them into a 'sleeper' and stick RST decals on them ...

I say just do it!

That clockwork is coming on 16 years old (plated like that) and was used daily on dirt in Zimbabwe for a lot of its life. It's still around, sporting a pair of Judy DH's.

Fatigue schmatigue.... you don't value your face/body do you? Having a shiny bike is way more important 😛

Well, this being Mr Poddy's bike, the chances are that it'll meet a tragic end well before fatigue becomes an issue. 😉

My singlespeed is matt black powder coat with chrome rigid forks. Looks fantastic, well I think so. Just the look I wanted - kinda bmxish. Not sure about having the whole frame done.

MrA, indeed that is probably the case, sadly....

Having said that, no matter how hard I try, I've still not as much as dented an alloy frame. I hit a HUGE great big tree after landing a jump a bit wrong on the Yeti and only bent a shifter mount bolt! I think I broke a rib, though.....

Well in the 9O's all sunn mtb were chromed... So it's doable.
If you want I can get the 853 out of your hands 😉

I was very tempted to get mine fully chromed - iirc it would have cost me upwards of £200 but after speaking to the folks at Bob Jackson Cycles on the phone I decided on just the dropouts in the end as they weren't able to guarantee a flawless finish particularly around tube joins. Top job though . . .

[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yk9ief&=1&nostamp=1&quality=70 [/img]

http://www.bicyclefixation.com/50buckbike.html

Check out that one, it covers a few of the pitfalls and mistakes thay made along the way. Looks to me like nickel plating rather than chrome is the way to go, and do your own masking!

I think it's look ace!

I red my case, m'lud.

[img] [/img]

Mustard - Good article, it seems the only problem they had was fitting the wrong headset and cracking the frame. Good tips about the masking, though, cheers
🙂

nickel plating will wear off, you'll have to lacquer it afterwards

I'd never even thought about this but I'm quite taken with the idea of polishing a steel frame until its got a mirror like finish - anyone done that or recommend anyone ?

A friend of mine used to work in a metal platers in Wednesfield, he had a rather horrible story about one of the guys there jumping into the arsenic bath. He left soon afterwards.

Not such a good idea. Those unfamiliar with the term "hydrogen embrittlement" should do a quick google. Here's an interesting link.

http://www.finishing.com/1600-1799/1747.shtml

Those unfamiliar with the term "hydrogen embrittlement" should do a quick google

Or just ignore it and do what the hell they like.
😉

Let me see, a chromed Inbred frame, that would be something like this then:

[IMG] [/IMG]

Didn't take long for this to happen...

[IMG] [/IMG]

Which is worse than the standard virtually non-existant Inbred paint.

Saccades, no offence, but that doesn't look like a very good chrome job in the first place.

Most chrome plated BMX frames are triple plated.

I was thinking of getting a BMX frame chromed soon and was recommended a place called South Coast Chrome (or something like that) as they used to do the chroming for Rickman and MRD in the 80s.

It wasn't (don't have a brand new photo so both are 12 months old), but all 2 chrome frames I'e owned looked gash very quickly, there is nothing to hide any blemishes.